Saturday, May 22, 2010

The rain deluge came as a great surprise. I know rain had been forecast, but not in the torrents that developed last night. With Matthew and Jonah as my guests, we watched on the summer porch as rain burst from the sky covering everything. In just an hour we had over two inches of rain.

Meanwhile, at the Fort Wayne airport, Adam and Tonya were arriving to spend the week end with me, visiting and gardening. They landed between the storms and stepped into the House at the White Picket Gardens as twilight and fog settled upon our area.

With the windows open, candles burning, and a late dinner on the table, we sat at the table long into the evening sharing stories. Matthew and Jonah sat and visited sharing stories as well with their auntie and uncle. They love them so much and always enjoy their visit!

As we talked, the candles burned low, the night sounds permeated the dining room with softness and late spring Indiana sweetness.

I pulled out my copy of "The Country I Come From" to read from our poet laureate, Robert Krafp.

It was a good evening for all of us and we all fell asleep to the gentle rain.Now, just what to do with my garden?

What's happening in my hometown this week!

Wednesday evening there will be an updated talk on the Dakota Pipeline. We will have speakers who have just come back from the site. We are hoping for a huge turn out on Wednesday evening at 7:00 in Best Hall, room 229. Thursday evening is the concert at the Dale Hughes Auditorium. This concert will be at 7:00 with all proceeds going towards Turning Point Homeless Shelter of Steuben County. Also there is music in town on Thursday...horse drawn carriage rides on Friday night. If you haven't been to Angola for a while, come on out! We would love to have you visit!

And how can you get in contact with me??

This is my hometown, Angola, Indiana. I am there a lot, but I am gone a lot too. You can reach me at 260-312-7225 or my email address: locketoftime@aol.com. I am booking for the school year with lots of possibilities for your school, organization or festivals! If you keep reading this blog, you will see I call square dances too. And because it is our Bicentennial Year, I have lots of shows to offer including Indiana's first Plein Air painter, T.C.Steele, and one of our first female writers, Gene Stratton Porter. Give me a call and let's talk!

April is poetry month!

Last year, as you remember, I read Shakespeare on the square every day at 4:00 in April. This coming year, 2017, I will again be reading poetry on the square, but with different authors. So put it on your calendar now and join me for Dickinson, Poe, Snyder, Sandburg...and so many more!

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

So, here we are in the weeks surrounding the solstice. It is dark by 5 in the afternoon and still dark at 7 inn the morning. I do say I love the beginning of winter...the dark days...the holy days. My snow shovel is now on the porch. My Jeep is ready with four-wheel drive, and my winter stories are ready and tucked into my memory. Let the winter begin...

Storytelling with Lou Ann

Anniei's Attic is a wonderful week-long opportunity for students and teachers.

And, yes, I can call square dances!

I also am now in a small (very small band) Schmaltz and Blarney. We are available for hire. What makes us different is that we bring along song books! Give us a call!

Lou Ann and Goldilocks

Ocassionally Goldilocks makes it to the stage with Lou Ann. They really do look alike!

Lou Ann Homan portraying Gene Stratton-Porter

This is just one of my first person character shows!

A nice little bio...

Lou Ann Homan is a writer, a teacher, a storyteller and a lover of small towns. Her enthusiasm for teaching has graced Indiana classrooms for over 30 years and has been twice awarded the prestigious Lilly Teacher Creativity Award. She is currently a professor at Trine University in the Humanities and Communication Department.

Lou Ann is an award-winning columnist for KPC Media Group whose weekly column has appeared every Saturday morning for ten years in newspapers in all four counties in northern Indiana. In 2014 Lou Ann received the Mayor’s Arts and Humanities Award.

Lou Ann’s storytelling skills have twice brought her the Frank Basile Emerging Stories Fellowship grant, and two commissioned pieces from Indiana Landmarks. She has told stories on many Fringe Festival stages throughout the Midwest and has carried her from the green hills of Ireland to China, and from Florida to Arizona. She has been on the roster of Arts for Learning for many years and was awarded the Anna Award in 2015 for her outstanding plan for program enhancement.

When not traveling Lou Ann can be found in her hometown of Angola, Indiana where she is a member of the Historic Preservation Commission. She writes late into the night under a red frayed lamplight, gardens at the community gardens, celebrates and promotes cultural events, tell stories on the square and bikes her way around her small town!

She is delighted to bring you stories!

If you like I can send my blog to you every day on your email!

Lou Ann Homan

Click on the Photo to View a Sample of My Storytelling

Storyteller's Journal

Dear Folks,

Welcome to my world of storytelling, writing, and as you can see, dreamer of dreams. My storytelling has taken me to all sorts of locations around the country and in a few other countries. I have shows suitable for all ages and interests.

I do programs for teachers, for poets, for students, and for all who love the sound of language and words. I also am a Fringe Festival artist!

I also am a faculty member of Trine University where I teach writing and speech. I am a columnist for our local paper, The Herald Republican. My columns appear on Saturday and have been featured for nine years!

I am a traveler, a hobo, a drifter, a gatherer of tales, and a one-woman show. Thanks for taking the time to take a look. I would love to talk with you, share emails and blogs or even share a cup of tea in my lovely old house. Above all, I would love to share stories with you.

Lou Ann

Storytelling in Schools

Murder Mystery Weekends

Research Projects for your town

Scary Stories for the Autumn

Summer reading programs

Anne Bonny and other women pirates

Winter Woolies

Keynoting for schools

Workshops for students and teachers

Square Dance calling

Writing workshops

Poetry and Haiku workshops

Writing and directing of shows (especially murder mystery shows for middle school, have several to choose from. This is a weeklong residency.)

About Me

I am a storyteller, a theater coach, an actress, and a writer. When I am not traveling and gathering stories, you can find me writing late into the evening under the light of my old scarlet, frayed lamp. I am a believer in small towns in America and the blog is written to bring focus to them and to save them!
I also garden and am deeply aware of the environment and the issues. Please visit my blog often to share with me short stories that just happen, recipes, gardening, environmental preservation, books, photography and family, of course!